First Contact MSK Physiotherapist | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner to deliver expert clinical assessments and link various care services. You will educate others, develop patient care pathways, and engage in professional development with experienced physiotherapists. This role emphasizes integrity, teamwork, and providing high-quality patient care. Applications close on December 4, 2025.

Qualifications

• Established or developing practitioner in Musculoskeletal First Contact.
• Experience in primary care settings.
• Ability to educate others on FCP roles and patient care pathways.

Responsibilities

• First point of contact for MSK clinical assessment and diagnosis.
• Link between primary, community, and acute services.
• Educate on FCP impact on referrals and patient pathways.
• Assist in developing research and audit programs for FCP effectiveness.

Skills

Expert clinical assessment

Diagnosis of MSK conditions

Effective communication

Knowledge of evidence-based practice

Job description

Are you an established or developing Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner looking for a new and exciting challenge? If the answer is ‘yes’, we have a position across two primary care networks for an individual to join our growing team of First Contact Practitioners.

As part of the role, you will have ringfenced non‑clinical time to establish or maintain your FCP roadmap activity in either the portfolio route, or if new to FCP activity via our local HEI academic route. You will be supported in your development by Advanced practice physiotherapists with over 5 years experience of frontline FCP service development and delivery, who are pro‑active across Dorset in developing FCP.

Your main role will be the delivery of FCP clinical activity.

• You will be first point of contact for expert clinical assessment and diagnosis of patients presenting with MSK conditions in primary care/GP practices.
• You will be the link between primary, community and acute services, when the patient is managed via primary care ensuring an integrated care pathway for individual patients that meets their needs.
• You will lead on and develop effective communication between primary care services/GP practices and other relevant care providers.
• You will educate others on the role of the FCP, its impact on referral patterns and patient care pathways.
• You will assist the service lead in using local and national evidence‑based practice to develop suitable research and audit programmes evaluating the effectiveness of the FCP programme.

The DCH FCP team is closely aligned with the Musculoskeletal out‑patients physiotherapy team, and shares in service training and team building opportunities. We prioritise your professional development, and you will receive weekly check in meetings with the lead therapist for the service to ensure you are fully supported whilst establishing your FCP role.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We would welcome applications from people in groups which are under‑represented in our organisation.

Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.

Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.

Please contact us at [e-mail] if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect, Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

This advert closes on Thursday 4 Dec 2025